Car Dealers Shun EVs After Confronting Harsh Reality

According to recent reports, car dealers are informing auto manu facturers that they have too many electric vehicles on their lots and are dialing back orders until their current inventory is soId. Scott Kunes, Chief Operating Officer at Kunes Auto and RV Group, explained that his company is turning away additional EV inventory.

“We have turned away EV inventory. We need to ensure that we have a good turn on it,” he said, as reported on Business Insider. Kunes said that automakers are “asking us to make a Iarge investment….and we’re just wanting to see some return on that.”

Sam Fiorani, Vice President of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, outlined how EVs aren’t practical for many Americans as they would have to alter their lifestyle when switching from a gas-powered car. “It’s not just that these vehicles are expensive — which they are. We’re talking about a much more nuanced Iifestyle change,” said Fiorani. EVs obviously have a more constrained range than gas-powered vehicles, and charging stations can be sparsely located.

EVs are also notably more expensive than traditional combustion engine-based cars. According to Consumer Reports, the average sale price of an EV is over $61,000, or $12,000 more expensive than the overall average in the auto industry. “It’s hard for the average customer to make that leap while spending an extra $10,000,” Fiorani continued.

Electric vehicle horror stories have also plagued the news, where consumers share personaI anecdotes of the dysfunctionality of these cars. Recently, a Ford F-150 Lightning owner was forced to ditch his EV on a road trip from Winnipeg to Chicago.

The all-electric Ford pickup retails for well north of $100k. However, based on the sentiment from disgruntled consumers, it seems this truck does not live up to its price tag. The man called electric vehicles the “biggest scam of modern times” after his experience with his F-150 Lightning.

While many have lofty projections for EVs in the Iong term, it’s safe to say that these vehicles are not ready to replace the reliability of traditional automobiles. Although, this hasn’t deterred some woke, blue states in the U.S. from preemptively enacting electric vehicle mandates.

For example, California announced it would ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Such mandates have drawn concern, particularly from automakers who will be forced to play within the guidelines of these new regulations.

“Whether or not these requirements are realistic or achievable is directIy linked to external factors like inflation, charging and fuel infrastructure, supply chains, labor, critical mineral availability and pricing, and the ongoing semiconductor shortage,” John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation said in a statement. “These are complex, intertwined and global issues.”

Also, many concerns surround the feasibility of a mass transition to electric vehicles. As it stands, this could limit people’s autonomy as driving ranges are limited and charging infrastructure is insufficient. Furthermore, there couId be an affordability crisis as many Americans can’t even afford a new car, let alone the price of a new EV.

‘Baywatch’ star Michael Newman tragically dies

Baywatch star Michael Newman has tragically died at the age of 68.

Newman rose to fame in the ’90s after playing a lifeguard on the long-running series, starring alongside Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed by Newman’s close friend, Matt Felker, who revealed the late actor died “from heart complications” on Sunday, October 20, according to PEOPLE.

The 45-year-old, who directed the recent Hulu docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, shared that Newman was “surrounded by his family and friends”.

“I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, ‘You’re just in time,'” Felker revealed to the outlet.

Newman endured an 18-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.

He was first diagnosed at the age of 50 in 2006 and devoted his later years to fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation.

In a heartfelt interview with PEOPLE this August, the late actor opened up about his desire to raise awareness about the condition through his own experiences.

“This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn’t want, but it’s brought me wisdom,” he said. “My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson’s has now become the center of my life.”

Newman revealed he took 10 medications a day and would often wake up “jittery,” adding: “I am cherishing the days that I get to be on this earth with family and friends. I’m taking life seriously.”

He said that his life mantra is, “It’s not a run-through,” and concluded: “All those things that you thought you were going to do with your children and grandchildren, pictures we were going to take, all the plans I had… stopped.”

Newman was the only member of the Baywatch cast who was actually a lifeguard. He was also a firefighter who balanced his on-screen career with his full-time career.

Once the show concluded in 2001, he returned to firefighting before hanging up his helmet 25 years later.

The late star is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sarah, their children Chris and Emily, and their one-year-old granddaughter, Charlie.

Our thoughts are with Newman’s family and friends at this time.

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